SHILLONG: The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO) on Friday decided to resume its agitation after a meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in New Delhi on Thursday drew a blank while the Opposition Congress too lambasted the Centre for its procrastination on the issue.
The meeting between Shah and Sangma threw up nothing definite with regard to implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) except the former’s assurance of enagaging in a discussion with a state delegation after the Delhi Assembly elections.
Speaking to media persons after an emergent meeting, CoMSO chairman Robertjune Kharjahrin said that there was no clarity and no assurance by the Union Home Minister with regard to the resolution adopted by the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly to implement ILP in the state.
Initially, CoMSO has decided to call for soft agitations in the form of evening sit-in demonstrations in the city for five days beginning February 4.
“We will have the evening sit-in demonstration from February 4 to 8 from 2 pm to 5 pm”, Kharjahrin said.
Stating that their protest is to mark their opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and for early implementation of ILP in the state, the CoMSO leader also made it clear that the group would continue its protest whenever any Central minister visits the state.
Lamenting that Bangladeshis enter the state and indulge in illegal activities, he also informed that CoMSO would now petition the Directorate of Infiltration for joint checking of foreigners along the international and inter-state border areas.
He also said that with the Assembly passing the resolution on ILP, the state government must not sit idle on the matter and all the 60 MLAs of the state should go to New Delhi and protest there.
“ We thank them for passing the resolution but their duty is not over yet and they should lead from the front for implementing ILP,” he said even as he alleged that the Centre is dillydallying the entire issue as the NGOs in Meghalaya have waited for more than two months but till now there is no word from the Union Home Minister on the fate of ILP.
Centre not serious: Cong
Berating the Centre for the delay in implementing ILP, Congress leader Ampareen Lyngdoh said, “the lack of seriousness on this matter indicates the Government of India’s apathy towards the agendas flagged by states.”
She was reacting to the meeting between the chief minister and the Union Home Minister.
She said that Inner line Permit warranted a special session by the state legislative Assembly and to keep the matter pending is a disregard of the authority of lawmakers of the state.
“With the rules of the CAA now being detailed by the Union Government, this issue demands an immediate resolution”, she said.
